


Sneaks

by yeaka



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-27
Updated: 2019-01-27
Packaged: 2019-10-17 08:22:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17556767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeaka/pseuds/yeaka
Summary: Gladio’s sick of secrecy.





	Sneaks

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Karaiel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Karaiel/gifts).



> A/N: Fill for karaiel: “Gladio and Ignis are in a relationship secretly, because they know it's highly unprofessional. They try to keep their relationship from Noctis and Prompto, successfully or unsuccessfully” request.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Final Fantasy XV or any of its contents, and I’m not making any money off this.

The day’s hunts were unusually thrilling, and Ignis’ dinner was typically delicious, and Gladiolus is in a good mood when he first slips into the tent. Their whole group is doing relatively well considering their circumstances—even Noctis is grinning and laughing as he and Prompto linger around the fire, vividly recounting the match that won them first place on the King’s Knight leaderboard last evening. Ignis is his usual calm neutrality, on his knees unpacking their sleeping supplies. While he smoothes out his sleeping bag, Gladiolus drags his own over, bumping the zippered side right up against Ignis’. That gives Ignis pause. 

Sounding preemptively tired, Ignis scolds, “ _Gladio_ ,” and pointedly shoves Gladiolus’ sleeping bag away. Gladiolus’ stomach immediately, even though it’s nothing new. At least, being forced to sleep apart isn’t new. This is, technically, the first time Ignis has so blatantly rejected him for attempting otherwise. 

Normally, Gladiolus would let it go. He’s been letting it go for years. But something about the day has just worn down his walls, and he pushes his sleeping bag back to where he first put it. Ignis opens his mouth, but Gladiolus grumbles over him, “Iggy, we’ve been playing this game long enough—”

“Shh,” Ignis automatically hushes, peering over Gladiolus’ massive shoulders to see through the tent flap. Gladiolus follows his gaze, but neither Noctis nor Prompto are even facing them, much less paying attention. Ignis still reminds him, “Honestly, Gladio, they’re right outside...”

“So? Look, I get it, it made sense when we started, but... does it _really_ matter now?” Ignis interrupts him with a withered sigh, as though Gladiolus is the one being ridiculous. Gladiolus stubbornly pushes on, “Come on. It was one thing inside the capital, when we were on the same payroll, but out here...”

“It’s still highly unprofessional,” Ignis insists. “It isn’t just that we’re coworkers, but our duties require us not to be distracted on the job—”

“I get that, but Noct knows we can still do our jobs fine—”

“Not to mention that both our homes were Citadel-owned, and the number of times we... we... _canoodled_ whilst on the clock—” 

“Specs, I _get it_ , it looks bad, but Noct and Prompto aren’t the media.”

Ignis purses his lips and hotly challenges, “What about that Dino character? Or Vyv? We may not be as much in the public eye anymore, but there are still publications that would be willing to print the story...”

Gladiolus can’t help rolling his eyes. Sometimes, albeit rarely, Ignis can be even more ridiculous than Prompto. “It’s not like they regularly track us down to spy inside our tents.”

“They don’t have to; Prompto takes photos all the time that could inadvertently incriminate us. All it would take is either one of them letting a few words slip...”

“They’re not going to—”

He cuts off when he hears the footsteps coming, then the slight rush of air as Noctis widens the flap and crawls inside. As usual, he pays no attention to which sleeping bag actually belongs to who, and instead worms right between Ignis and Gladiolus. Gladiolus shuffles back, only for Noctis to start squirming into his sleeping back. Ignis even enables their spoiled prince by doing up the zipper and allowing Noctis to shuffle closer and curl up around him. It makes Gladiolus wonder if Ignis is really keeping them a secret solely for the bad press, or if perhaps he worries that Noctis would see it like his parents having sex and thus be bothered. 

The four of them have been crammed together long enough now that the silence isn’t awkward. Gladiolus and Ignis both sit there, quietly regarding the other, while Noctis promptly falls asleep between them. Ignis’ flat look seems to be suggesting that Gladiolus back off and sleep on the tent’s other side, but Gladiolus isn’t going anywhere. He waits until Noctis is lightly snoring, clearly dead to the world. Then he carefully slips his arms underneath Noctis’ back and gently scoops him up.

“Gladio—” Ignis murmurs, but it’s too late. Bent over and slow, Gladiolus carries Noctis to the tent’s far side. Then he thinks better of it and shuffles Noctis a little closer to the middle, tossing Prompto’s bag near the end. Obviously, their prince should be in the middle where it’s safest, because they’re all there to protect him. 

Gladiolus has just finished when Prompto wanders in, yawning and fiddling with his camera. Clearly not paying attention, he beelines for the empty sleeping bag that’s embroidered with Noctis’ name—the nicest one out of the bunch. But Gladiolus snaps it up before he gets there and drops it next to Ignis, quietly growling at Prompto, “You. On the end.”

Prompto looks up, blinks in clear surprise, and Ignis lets out another sigh and explains, “Please forgive him. He’s been having bad nightmares lately and has asked if I’ll sleep next to him, so I can wake and soothe him if I notice anything awry.” 

Gladiolus’ cheeks instantly heat at the embarrassing lie, but it works. Prompto shoots him a sympathetic look and tells him, “Aw, feel better, big guy! I get it, nightmare are the worst. I used to always have this one where this creepy snake thingy thought I was it’s ki—”

“Yeah,” Gladiolus cuts in, bouncing back for revenge. “So if you see me and Iggy spooning, resist the urge to take a shot, okay?”

Prompto starts at the word ‘spooning’, then recovers to awkwardly say, “Sure, sure, I understand—”

“Thanks, Prompto.”

Prompto nods around another yawn, then moves to Noctis’ other side. When Gladiolus turns back to Ignis, Ignis is glaring at him. Gladiolus tries not to smirk back but fails. 

He doesn’t actually torture his boyfriend. When he’s stuffed himself into Noctis’ too-small sleeping back, he keeps his arms to himself, at least until Ignis mutters, “Well, now you may as well hold me.”

Gladiolus doesn’t have to be told twice. He shifts closer, frees his arms of their confines, and wraps tight around Ignis’ cocoon. Ignis hums in poorly concealed contentment. Gladiolus knows he’s missed this too.

Eventually, they’ll get to the point where they can share a hotel room, and kiss in the car, and tell their prince how close they really are. For the moment, they content themselves with cuddling, temporarily free of any worry.


End file.
